Patent Application
20120030978
This invention concerns a device for displaying a sign or logo for information or promotional purposes. In particular, though not exclusively, the invention relates to such a device when adapted for mounting, for example, to an article of furniture such as a chair. The device may also be termed “a badge mounting device” and the terms signage device and badge mounting device are used interchangeably in this specification.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,143,583 describes an advertising sign particularly adapted for use at the rear of motor vehicles in the 1930s. It comprises a base in the form of a substantially flat disc intended to be secured by bolts or rivets to a bracket at the back of the motor vehicle. This base is in the form of a substantially flat, circular disc having a peripheral edge curled over to present an annular channel, said channel defining a central opening into which a correspondingly circular display plate can be inserted to lie flat against the base, said display plate being secured in that position by a split ring of tubular form of a size to clip into the channel overlying the periphery of the display plate. A pin projects from the base adjacent its bottom edge, just inside the peripheral channel and the display plate is provided with a radial slot at a location defining its bottom edge so that the display plate is appropriately orientated and located non-rotatably in the base when the slot is registered with and engaged on the pin. The display plate can be removed by first prising out the retaining split ring by inserting a tool via a notch in the outer edge of the channel. It can then be exchanged for a different display plate.
Nowadays, in conference centers, and in hotels and other establishments having conference, meeting and event facilities, many devices are used for displaying promotional material, for example the logo of an organization utilizing the conference facility.
An object of the present invention is to provide chairs with badge mounting devices whereby the badges are interchangeable as required, either to advertise the services provided by the conference facility such as by using a hotel or conference centre logo, or to display the logo of an organization using the conference facility, or to display any badge or picture or similar as desired by organizers of a social event, such as a wedding.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a badge mounting device which may be fixed to any display surfaces and allow badges to be mounted interchangeably in a quick and simple manner.
Yet a further object is to provide for quick and easy mounting of badges or signs whereby they remain reliably upright, or in appropriate required orientation when in position, thus avoiding the untidy appearance of several such signs disposed randomly at different angles.
The present disclosure provides a signage device for attachment to a surface from which a sign having at least partial edge curvature is to be displayed. The curved edge region of the sign is provided with a locating formation in the form of a tongue or a notch. A simple version of the device of the invention has a supporting part, for attachment to a surface, which consists of a flat strip of curved configuration having a concavely curved upper support edge to support the curved edge region of the sign and a framing part attached to the supporting part in superimposed relationship thereto to retain and frame the sign when the sign is supported upon the supporting part. The upper support edge of the supporting part has a location formation, namely a tongue or a notch, complementary to that of the sign, said formations engaging with each other to maintain the sign in a selected orientation and in a non-rotatable manner relative to the supporting part when, in use, the supporting part is attached to a surface and the sign is inserted behind the framing part.
A more robust version of the device, which is also better adapted for attachment to a wide variety of substrates, such as many different styles of chairs, doors or other display backing, also includes a backing plate to which the supporting part is attached.
The framing part may be integrally formed with or attached or attachable to the supporting part.
The sign may be a circular disc. Other shapes, such as oval or elliptical, are possible.
The supporting part may be a semi-circular strip of material, to match a circular disc.
However, in preferred embodiments the supporting part may have a lower edge of part circular shape, which may be of greater angular extent than semicircular and its curved upper edge may have a central region of no more than semicircular shape and respective tapering end regions which joined to the tips of the lower edge.
The framing part may be of annular form corresponding in radius to that of the supporting part, when the latter is semi-circular or has a part circular lower edge.
The location formations, namely the tongue or notch at the upper surface of the supporting part of the device, and complementary notch or tongue on the lower surface of the sign may be V-shaped for ease of inter-engagement.
The supporting and framing parts and the sign, and the backing plate when provided, may be formed from sheet material. The sheet material may be metallic or it may be of plastics.
The supporting and framing parts may be die cut in a single sheet of material and retained therein, until required for use, by bridging pieces.
The signage device may be combined with an article of furniture having a surface to which the device is attached, replaceably to display the sign.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
A first embodiment of a signage device of this invention, as shown in
The supporting part 10 and the framing part 11 may be cut from a single sheet of material, for example polished steel, and typically in the region of 1 mm to 2 mm in thickness. The sign 12 may similarly be formed in multiples from a single sheet of material of similar kind.
However, all of these parts may be produced from other suitable material, such as vinyl or other plastics material.
The supporting part 10 is of generally semi-circular form and the framing part 11 is annular, these parts having matching radius.
The supporting part 10, on its opposed faces, is provided with a self-adhesive material with a removable backing sheet whereby the annular framing part 11 may be attached to the part 10 in superimposed relationship therewith and then the two combined parts may be attached to the surface from which the sign is to be displayed.
The supporting part 10 has a V-shaped tongue 15 projecting radially inwards substantially at its mid-point, and the combined supporting and framing parts are intended to be placed on the display surface with the tongue 15 at the lowermost position.
In view of the semi-circular and annular relationship of the supporting and framing parts, once the device is in position on a backing surface, then the disc-like sign 12 may be inserted beneath the framing part 11 with the lower half of its circumferential edge resting upon and supported by the upper surface of the supporting part 10. For this purpose a V-shaped notch 16 is provided at what is intended to be the lowermost part of the sign 12 to become engaged with the tongue 15 of the supporting part 10. Thus the tongue 15 and notch 16 serve as location means to ensure that the sign is maintained in an upright disposition and framed by the part 11 whereby, for example, a logo displayed upon the sign 12 is visible through the frame of the part 11. It is then easily removable to be replaced, if and when required, by an alternative sign.
In use, the surface on which the signage device shown in
A conference chair designed and produced to receive such a signage device may be provided with an upright smooth surface preferably of bright stainless steel at the back of the chair, thus to be visible when the chair is in use, for example, around a conference table.
In modified versions of the above described signage device, the supporting part 10 and the framing part 11 may be formed integrally as a single piece, for example molded from plastics, in which case self-adhesive material is required only on the surface of the part 10 to be applied to the article surface from which the sign is to be displayed.
In other modified versions of the above described signage device the supporting part 10, whether integral with or attached to the framing part, may be attached by magnetic means to an underlying surface which is made of steel.
Furthermore, the device may be other than strictly circular while still having curvature at the sides and/or the lower region of the device, the tongue and notch 15, 16 being provided to ensure that the sign remains upright irrespective of the curvature of its supporting surface.
Obviously, in modified versions, the notch and tongue maybe provided the opposite way round, the supporting part 10 being provided with a notch while the sign 12 has an inter-engaging tongue. Also these location means may be other than V-shape although the inclined edges of the tongue 15 and notch 16 are such as to provide ease of introduction.
The device enables users interchangeably to display advertising, promotional or aesthetic material or other information as required for a particular event or occasion by quickly and smoothly inserting and removing the sign from its mounted position behind the framing member 11.
Referring now to
The backing plate 18 is provided to enable a signage device consisting of a supporting part and a framing part, similar in form to the first embodiment described above, to be attached in an efficient, reliable and removable manner to a wider range of support substrates than may be possible with the first embodiment and its adhesive attachment.
The backing plate 18 is formed as a substantially circular disc which has three legs 19, 22, 23 extending from the rear surface. As shown, these are punched out from the sheet metal as tabs which are bent outwards and then again to provide connector portions 24 which lie spaced above and approximately parallel to the rear surface of the remaining plate. The connector portions are formed with holes 25 for connection to the underlying substrate, typically the back of a chair, by means of screws. Access for fixing the screws is through the cut out portions of the plate 18.
In modified versions the legs may be provided by separate components welded to the rear surface of the backing plate 18, in which case apertures in the plate are required at appropriate overlying positions to allow access for securing or releasing the screws.
The three legs 19, 22, 23 are positioned at substantially equally angular spacing, that is at approximately 60° spacing to each other around the circular plate 18. The leg 19 which is to be the uppermost leg when the backing plate 18 is mounted in use is bent outwards to a lower depth than the other two legs so that, for example, its connector portion 24 may lie about 5 mm from the rear surface of the plate 18, whereas the connector portion 24 of the other two legs 22, 23, may lie at about 7 mm from the rear surface of the plate 18. This specifically adapts this particular embodiment of the device for streamlined fitting to a substrate such as the rear surface of a chair back which is curved or sloped rearwards.
As shown, particularly in the enlarged detail from
As shown in
The supporting part 20 has a lower edge of part circular shape which is greater than semicircular, as apparent in
The supporting part 20 has spaced apertures 29 which align with and locate on the protrusions 26 of the backing plate 18 prior to spot welding of the supporting part 20 to the plate 18.
The framing part 21 comprises an annular plate or ring, as in the first embodiment. It is attached to the front face of the supporting part 20 by adhesive.
The foregoing describes two embodiments of the invention and certain variants thereof. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise details of the described embodiments and many variations in design are possible within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
